LIGHTING DEVICE AND DOOR LINING USING SAME

• US 20110170304A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujita, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/501
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/66 for distributing light among several lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

A lighting device for use in a vehicle, is equipped with one light source and a linear light-guiding body which guides light from the light source. The light-guiding body has a linear, primary spotlight part which emits light in a linear shape and a secondary spotlight part which emits a spot of light from the tip of the light-guiding body, thus providing different lighting with one light source.

Claims

1. An illumination device provided to an interior body of a vehicle, comprising:

a light source; and

a light guide for guiding light from the light source and projecting the light within a vehicle cabin,

wherein the light guide comprises;

a linear primary light projection part for projecting the light in linear fashion; and

a secondary light projection part for projecting the light at a distance from the linear primary light projection part using the light passed through the linear primary light projection part.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the secondary light projection part is set to irradiate a smaller area than the linear primary light projection part and is disposed farther away from the light source than the linear primary light projection part.

3. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first lens for transmitting the light from the linear primary light projection part and projecting the light in linear fashion, the first lens being disposed linearly along a longitudinal direction of the linear primary light projection part; and

a second lens for transmitting the light of the secondary light projection part, the second lens having a light projection range smaller than a light projection range of the first lens and being disposed in a concave part formed in the interior body.

4. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the linear primary light projection part is directed toward a point of view of a vehicle occupant, and the secondary light projection part is directed away from the point of view of the vehicle occupant.

5. The illumination device of claim 3, wherein the first lens transmits and projects the light toward an external periphery of the light guide, and the second lens transmits and projects the light in an axial direction of the light guide.

6. A door lining comprising:

an illumination device having a linear primary light projection part for projecting light in linear fashion, and a secondary light projection part for projecting light at a distance from the linear primary light projection part using the light passed through the linear primary light projection part, a light guide being provided for guiding light from a light source and projecting the light within a vehicle cabin;

a switch panel disposed in a vicinity of the linear primary light projection part and provided with a plurality of operating switches; and

an operating member disposed in a vicinity of the secondary light projection part and provided with at least one operating part.

7. The door lining of claim 6, wherein the light guide is fastened in a vicinity of a connection end of the switch panel by a first lens for transmitting the light from the linear primary light projection part and projecting the light in linear fashion, the first lens being disposed linearly along a longitudinal direction of the linear primary light projection part.